Just Keep Running

Chapter 23 We meet again

TW: Language, Violence 

As we got to the hospital Luke looked around to see if there was a back entrance we could use to get inside so we don't get caught trying to get to the roof. We walked around to the back of the hospital and found a back door. Luke pushed it open then turned to me. "Come on." He gestured to me to go inside. I walked through the door and Luke was following close behind. Luke looked around the corner to see how far away the roof entrance was. Luke moved around the corner and nodded to me signaling it was okay to go. When I rounded the corner I saw that there were many nurses and doctors tending to patients but none of them noticed us because they were too occupied with what they were doing to even acknowledge us. I hid behind the next wall and Luke pointed towards the door to the roof, I nodded and ran towards the door and opened it revealing a hallway full of stairs. Luke looked at me and tossed me the duffel bag, I caught it and waited for him to make it to the stairs. When Luke got to the stairs he took the duffel bag back and put his finger to his lips signaling for me to be quiet. I nodded and kept walking up the stairs following close behind Luke as the door shut behind us making a loud bang, I jumped at the noise but Luke ignored it and kept walking. I hoped that no one heard the door shut. As we made it to the top of the stairs Luke turned to me. "Maddie, I need you to stay here, can you do that for me?" He asked, keeping a calm voice. I nodded. "Yeah, but why do I have to stay here? I want to see my mom too." I said, a hint of sadness in my voice. Luke sighed his gaze going to the ground then back at me. "I don't want you to get hurt, I'm going to try and offer Daniel the money, and I don't want him to know you're here if I don't have to because then he'll probably have you do something you don't what to, okay?" He told me. "Like when he made me stab you?" I asked with more sadness in my voice. "Yes Maddie, like when he made you stab me, and I don't want you to have to go through that again so please don't follow me. Only come out onto the roof if I call you, not if Daniel calls you, not if Annie calls you, if I call you, okay?" He tells me. "Okay." I respond looking at the ground. "I'm gonna go now Maddie, and if anything goes wrong I need you to run, can you do that?" He asks. I nod. Luke opens the door that leads to the roof and goes through closing the door behind him. I lean against the wall and sit on one of the steps putting my head in my hands and brushing my hair back then resting my arms on my knees and staring at the other wall in front of me. 

 As Luke got to the roof and the door shut, making a loud bang Daniel and Annie's heads both whip around to face the door and Luke just stood there with the duffel bag in his right hand. "I'm here for Annie, not you Daniel." Luke says. "You think I don't know that!" Daniel spits back. He then turns his attention to the duffel bag in Luke's hand. "What's in the bag?" He asks, pointing to it. "Just, stuff." Luke replies vaguely. "Don't bullshit me Luke! What's in the bag?" Daniel asks again, with anger in his voice. Luke ignores Daniel and looks at Annie who is sitting on the roof looking at both of them with worry on her face. "Annie, come here." Luke says calmly. Annie goes to stand up and walk over to Luke but Daniel stops her and puts his hand on her shoulder keeping her where she is. "Annie, you're not going anywhere, sit back down." Daniel says, pushing down on Annie's shoulder so she sits back down on the ground. "You can't make decisions for her, Daniel! She's an adult she can take care of herself, lord knows she has taken care of herself and Maddie for the last 10 years! And she did a damn good job keeping Maddie safe, and away from you!" Luke yells, Causing Daniel to glare at him with a deathly look. "That's it I've had enough of you!" Daniel yells, pulling a hunting knife out of his pocket. "Daniel don't!" Annie yells. "Shut up Annie!" He yells back charging at Luke with the knife. "Wait!" Luke yells. Daniel stops reluctantly, putting the knife back in his pocket. "What!" Daniel spits. "In the bag is money, a lot of money, 10 million, I counted it myself. Luke replies slowly, opening the bag and showing the money to Daniel. "Just give me Annie and you can have it." Luke pleads. "Where's the other 10 million huh?" Daniel asks greedily. Luke sighs. "Daniel, this is half and I have the rest somewhere safe." He says zipping the bag back up. "We got a deal or not?" Luke asks. Daniel sighed, rubbing his hand over his face in stress before coming back to his senses. "Where's my daughter?" He asked. "Daniel, don't ask because I won't tell you. All you need to know is she's somewhere and she's safe." Luke replies, gritting his teeth. "I want to see her and I know damn well that she is somewhere nearby because you won't go too far without her because you care so much for some reason." Daniel says. Luke sighs and takes a deep breath. "What is gonna happen if i bring her here?" He asks reluctantly. "I just wanna see her, and talk to her, that's all." Daniel says sincerely. Luke sighs. "Maddie, could you come out here please." He says looking down at the ground. The door to the roof opens slightly and I peek my head out. "It's okay, come here." Luke tells me. I step onto the roof and close the door and run to Luke's side in fear. He puts his arm around me. Daniel looks at me and smiles. "My beautiful daughter, how are you?" He asked me. I don't answer and just glare at him. He sighs. "You know what, you don't wanna talk, that's fine, I'll make you talk." He threatens and walks towards my mom. "Daniel whatever you're thinking, rethink it." Luke threatens. Daniel ignores him and keeps walking towards my mom. He then grabbed her arm hard making her stand up next to him. He then throws her against the concrete wall hard and I hear a bone crack. "No! Mom!" I yell and try to go over to her but Luke holds me back. "Maddie, don't." He tells me, keeping me back. "I can't just let him hurt her!" I yell. "I know, I know, but if you go over there he's gonna hurt you too." He says still keeping a firm grip on my arms holding me back. I see Daniel slap her across the face hard leaving a red hand print on her face and she screams in pain. I let out a sob and try to keep fighting against Luke's grip but I am unsuccessful at getting away. "NO!" I scream and sob, tears running down my face. "You gonna talk now Maddie, huh? You gonna talk?" Daniel asks me through gritted teeth. I nod my head sobbing. Daniel slaps my mom one more time and walks towards me leaving her sliding down the wall with tears running down her face. Luke pushes me behind him as Daniel gets closer to us. "You're still trying to protect her Luke? Just give up cause you're never gonna be able to keep her away from me forever." He says, smiling menacingly. "I'm keeping her away from you for a reason and if you can't see that then you better fuckin' look." Luke threatens keeping me behind him as I cry more tears running down my face in fear. Daniel punches Luke in the face but Luke doesn't budge. He is determined to protect me from him. Protect me from the person that has made our lives a living hell the second he came back into it. Luke smirks at Daniel touching his jaw. "That all you got?" He chuckles. "Not even close." Daniel threatens, then brings the knife back out of his pocket grinning. "You wanna dance Tara? Let's dance." He says menacingly then takes a swing at Luke with the hand the knife is in. "Maddie run!" Luke yells as he tries to block Daniel's knife from making contact. I run and rush over to my mothers side sliding on my knees next to her. "Are you okay?" I ask with tears in my eyes. She nods and holds my face in her hands. "I'm okay honey." She pulls me into her arms and hugs me tight and I hug her back. Daniel and Luke are still fighting as we get as far away from them as we can. Daniel takes another swing at Luke with the knife but Luke catches his hand and twists his wrist causing Daniel to grunt in pain and loosen his grip on the knife. Luke takes the knife and twists Daniel's arm more and I hear it snap and Luke lets go and smirks as Daniel holds his wrist in pain. "My turn." Luke says smirking as he flips the knife in the air effortlessly catching it by the handle again.   

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